Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (12 July 2023)

Current Affairs MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams

Date: 12 July 2023

1. Which of the following activities are subject to taxation under the Goods and service tax?

1. Online gaming
2. Casinos
3. Horse-racing
4. Unfried snack pellets

How many of the above is/are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
c) Only three
(d) All four

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • Recently, The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, in its 50th meeting on decided to levy a uniform 28 percent tax on full face value for online gaming, casinos and horse-racing, while reducing the rate for uncooked/ unfried snack pellets, cancer medicine and imitation zari thread.
  • The meeting also clarified the rate for food and beverages sold inside multiplexes and the definition of all utility vehicles to bring parity for cess levy.

Hence, option (d) is correct.

2. Consider the following pairs:

Tiger Reserve Location
1. Palamau Tiger Reserve Chattisgarh
2. Kamlang Tiger Reserve Mizoram
3. Ranipur Tiger Reserve Uttar Pradesh

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) All three pairs
(d) None of the above

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

  • Palamau Tiger Reserve is located in the western part of the Chotanagpur plateau in Jharkhand. It forms part of Betla National Park and Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary. It falls under the lndo-Malayan realm. Hence, pair 1 is incorrectly matched.
  • The Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1989, is the 50th Tiger reserve in India. The Sanctuary is rich with floral and faunal diversity. It is situated in the Lohit District of the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Hence, pair 2 is incorrectly matched.
  • Ranipur Tiger Reserve located in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh is located at a just 150 km distance from Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Tiger, leopard, bear, sambar, spotted deer, chinkara and many birds and reptiles are found in this reserve. It is currently the fourth tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh after Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Amangarh and the latest tiger census in India was done in 2018, according to which there are 2967 tigers in the country and 173 of them are in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.

3. With reference to Phospine, consider the following statements:

1. Phosphine, which comprises hydrogen and phosphorus, is a flammable, colorless and toxic gas on Earth that’s often thought of as swamp gas.
2. It is produced by microorganisms living in a very high oxygen environment.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

  • Scientists detected phosphine in Venus' atmosphere. Phosphine, which comprises hydrogen and phosphorus, is a flammable, colorless and toxic gas on Earth that’s often thought of as swamp gas. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It is produced by microorganisms living in a very low oxygen environment. Application: semiconductor industry, as a fumigant, intermediate in several flame retardants etc. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

4. Which one of the following is the best description of ‘INS Utkrosh’, that was seen in the news recently?

(a) Torpedo launch and recovery vessel
(b) Amphibious warfare ship
(c) Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
(d) Indian naval air station

Answer: (D)

Explanation: The Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, General Anil Chauhan inaugurated LRMR Hangar & Dispersal at Naval Air Station, INS Utkrosh in Port Blair. It is an Indian naval air station under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Armed Forces. This station operates the Do-228 maritime patrol aircraft and a SAR (Search & Rescue) flight of HAL Chetak helicopters. The station handles courier flights from the mainland and civil flights to and from Port Blair. Hence, option (d) is correct.

5. With reference to ‘The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023’, consider the following statements:

1. The Bill extends its remit to land which is not officially classified as ‘forest’ in State or Central government records.
2. It exempts land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security from the purview of the Act.
3. The state government requires prior approval of the central government to assign any forest land to any entity

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (C)

Explanation: The Act empowers the Centre to require that any forest land diverted for non-forestry purposes be duly compensated. It also extends its remit to land which is not officially classified as ‘forest’ in State or Central government records. It also exempts certain types of land from the purview of the Act. These include land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation. The state government requires prior approval of the central government to assign any forest land to a private entity. The Bill extends this to all entities, and allows the assignment to be made on terms and conditions specified by the central government. Hence, all statements are correct.